Canadian Military Intelligence

This groundbreaking history shows how evolving military intelligence influenced key operations within the Canadian Armed Forces

Canadian intelligence has moved from the periphery to become increasingly central to the operations of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Canadian Military Intelligence: Operations and Evolution from the October Crisis to the War in Afghanistan is the first comprehensive history that examines the impact of tactical, operational, and strategic intelligence on the Canadian military. Drawing upon a wide range of original documents and interviews with participants in specific operations, this book provides an inside perspective on how the evolving Canadian military intelligence enterprise has supported CAF operations.

Part one provides background about the development of Canadian defense policies and military intelligence since the Second World War, describing how the intelligence community adapted to changing intelligence concepts, practices, and technologies — all while coping with frequent reorganizations, insufficient personnel, and persistent underfunding. Part two analyzes case studies to show how intelligence influenced key military operations, from domestic internal security to peacekeeping efforts to high-intensity air campaigns. The cases include the October Crisis of 1970, the Oka Crisis, the Gulf War, peacekeeping and enforcement operations in the Balkans, and the war in Afghanistan.

Decades of experience, innovation, and increasingly close cooperation with its Five Eyes and NATO allies allowed Canada's military intelligence to punch above its weight. Its tactical effectiveness and ability to overcome challenges reshaped the outlook of military commanders, and intelligence emerged from the margins to become a central feature of military and defense operations. The conclusion brings the conversation up to the present, discussing the creation of the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command and its implications for future intelligence support. This book will be essential to both intelligence history and military history readers and collections.